The Director’s Council of the Museum of the City of New York’s Winter Ball

“I found the original invite to this event,” announced Mark Gilbertson, chairman of the Museum of the City of New York’s Winter Ball, after aggressively commanding the crowded ballroom at the Pierre to quiet down. “It started in 1985, and the cost for a ticket was $45. Now, that would barely get you here and back in a cab!” The room tittered with conciliatory giggles, many in attendance probably regretting the results of such inflation. Gilbertson went on to announce the winners of the pre-drawn raffle: Jamie Tisch won the most coveted prize—a seat at the spring 2014 Carolina Herrera runway show and a visit backstage. The fashion house was the sponsor of the evening, and sumptuous Carolina Herrera dresses could be spotted on all the most glamorous attendees, including Tory Burch, Hilary Rhoda, Coco Rocha, Elettra Wiedemann, and, naturally, Patricia Herrera Lansing. The senior Ms. Herrera, ever elegant in pearls and silk faille, chatted her way through the cocktails portion of the evening, posing for photographs with society swans draped in her designs. Taking a peek at the ballroom before dinner, Herrera was impressed with the décor, the tables laid with chocolate-striped fabric from her atelier and decorated with zinc planters of boxwoods. Lansing stroked the striped table runner before turning to Herrera CEO Caroline Brown. “I think we own all of the striped fabric in New York City!” she said. “We own all the striped fabric in the United States,” deadpanned Brown in reply.